Peppermint Euphoria
by Zent288
Summary: Al hates Slytherins and believes Gryffindors to be superior. There's a plot afoot in Hogwart's very walls, and it is up to Rose and Scorpius to change his mind, before it's too late.
1. Chapter One: Pride? Or Prejudice?

I do not own anything but the original characters and the situations they are in.

Enjoy!

"Al, it's time to wake up! You're going to miss breakfast if you don't hurry up," Al Potter's friend and roommate Peter shook his shoulder. Opening his eyes, Al saw that the sun was rising, and they would indeed miss breakfast if he slept any longer.

"Go on without me, I'll meet you there," Al groggily spoke to his friend. Peter hesitated, in case this was a test. He decided it was not, and walked out of the room. Al was too tall for most things, and his feet touched against the cold wood of the bed frame, and he shivered. The room was as cold as his heart had become recently. He found himself wishing for a body next to him to warm him. He cast that thought out of his mind faster even than it had intruded. He put on his shirt and tie, which he wore with scarlet and gold pride. He carefully tied the black laces on his shoes. Lastly, the black cloak which a version every student donned was meticulously put around Al's shoulders. He strode out of the room, head held high.

Al walked into the Great Hall and was immediately greeted by several pesky girls who were not so subtly craving his affection. Brushing them off, he sat down next to his cousin, Rose. Her red hair was cut just above her shoulder. "When did this happen?" Al played with the ends of her newly shortened hair.

"Last night. I realized it was distracting me during studying. This way I won't accidentally sit on it like before. You ready for potions today?" Al groaned in response and put his head on the table. He forgot he was going to have to spend almost all of his mornings in the dungeons this year. He did not like to be in the same room as a Slytherin, much less fifteen of them on their turf. He was grateful for a different form of learning though. He did not enjoy taking notes during class and then taking tests on the notes he had taken prior. It just was not meant for him. Rose, however, absolutely loved traditional learning and was already trying to study for her O.W.L.S. even though they were far off from then. "Al, seriously. Get over your immaturity. There is nothing wrong with Slytherins. You're even named after one!" Al picked his head up only to glare his cousin down.

"Shut up, dad. I didn't ask for it today, Rose." Al sat up straight as he saw a Slytherin walking down from the front of the hall. "Watch this," he said. " _Tarantellegra_ ," Al whispered and pointed his wand discreetly at the unsuspecting second year. When he went to take another step, his legs betrayed him and began to dance uncontrollably. The professors at the front of the hall seemed much less amused than the entire student body. The tables erupted into laughter at the poor child, while the faculty quickly put an end to the foolishness.

"Are you mental?" Rose punched Al in the shoulder. She did not share her cousin's arrogance that sadly sometimes accompanied being in Gryffindor. "All of the houses are equal, Al. We all got our letters, didn't we? There is no reason that you should think Slytherin is lesser than us. They're the exact same as us. I hope one day you realize this.

"Rose, you know my bloodline. I have a reputation to uphold. And it's actually a lot of pressure. Potters and Malfoys are enemies. Everyone knows that. And Malfoys represent Slytherin. So it just makes sense to not allow any of the house near me. We are superior, no matter what you believe. If you really were that soft, perhaps Hufflepuff would have better suited you." Al had a dangerous tone, and Rose stiffly rose from the bench and walked out of the Great Hall. Al had a cold, bitter feeling in his stomach. He was regretting the way he spoke to his cousin. He thought he was right, so he did not feel the need to apologise.

By the time Al reached the dungeons, Rose was already in the Potions room. She was chatting with Lily, Al's Ravenclaw sister. He still loved her, but he was always thrown off by her since she was a different house than their family through history. It drove them apart until Al's fifth year, when Lily was beginning her third. She confronted him and they mended their torn bond. He sat down next to his family, and was blatantly ignored by his cousin. His sister, having missed this morning's incident, happily greeted him. Al grunted in return, not wanting to madden Rose more by being cheerful.

"Alright class, let's open our text to page sixteen, please," Professor Finnigan cut through the chatter of students. The Potter/Weasley children did as told.

"Al, you can sit this one out, you don't need it," Lily chuckled nervously at Rose's statement which dripped venom onto the workbench. Al opened the book and discovered it was a recipe for a Pride Potion. The look he gave the back of Rose's head would have ended the Battle of Hogwarts. Rose shifted uncomfortably in her seat, clearly feeling the glare. "If you're going to shoot daggers at me, do it with a spell and we can decide who was right earlier," Rose muttered loud enough for just for him to hear.

"Don't tempt me," Al snarled. His eyes darkened as he turned back to his potion, which was fervently bubbling.

The rest of the lesson went by with minor conflict consisting solely of backhanded comments from Rose. Al packed up his things a few minutes early, claiming he felt ill. He was not looking forward to having another lesson right after the current one with Rose. Professor Finnigan allowed him to leave. Al could barely see as he stormed out of the room. He was seeing red with anger, and hot tears were welling up. He turned the corner, and sank to the ground. He sobbed violently in an alcove for a minute, and then got back up and ran out to go to his room. He collided with another sixth year, and he tried to go around him.

"Are you okay?" The deep voice came from a man restraining Al.

"I'm fine, thank you very much. Now if you would let me go, I can return to what I was doing," Al said. He very much wanted to go to sleep forever.

"And that is… Crying in the dungeons? You were running the wrong way to continue with that daring adventure. Come with me, we can talk." The man was very kind, and he smelled of peppermint. Al sniffled and obliged. He followed the fellow student through the secret entrance to the Slytherin dormitories and down several twisting stairwells. He surely would be lost if he attempted to navigate this path. At the end of the hall they found themselves in was apparently this student's room. He opened it, and the source of the peppermint smell was found. There were pots filled with it on every surface big enough to support them. Al's eyes widened with surprise at the unexpected sight. "I secretly enjoy herbology, and I do fancy peppermint tea before I go to sleep. But seeing as how the kitchen elves don't trust Slytherins for some reason, I make it here. Would you care for a cup? You seem as though you could use it." The boy's soothing voice seemed to caress Al, and he nodded graciously.

"Who are you?" Al quietly asked between sips of surprisingly delicious tea.

"The name's Scorpius. And you're Albus, correct?" Scorpius smiled a smile that looked like it was used sparingly and cautiously.

"Al. No one calls me Albus," Al said cautiously, realising he was in a room with a Malfoy, the very reason he despised the Slytherin house.

"Well then I suppose I shall be the first. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Albus," Scorpius said. He sat back on his bed and took a sip of his tea.

Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! Please leave a review! Second chapter will be up soon I promise 3


	2. Chapter Two: The Art of Bullying

Copyright stuff I don't own anything but original characters and the situations they are in. Enjoy and follow/favourite/review!

"What am I doing here? I can't be here. I have to go. You can't call me Albus. You can't call me anything." Al shook his head and stood up. He left the room, and tried to remember the turns the pair took when they went down the stairs. He quietly moved his way up the stone stairs, keeping careful eye behind him to make sure he wasn't spotted. He could get into trouble for being down here. It was much different now that he was travelling up, and he took a few wrong turns. He uncertainly walked down a hallway towards a slightly more open area. Hearing voices, Al ducked into an alcove. He held his breath and hid behind a Slytherin banner as two students walked past. Once out of earshot, he slowly let out air. Seeing as it was his best shot of getting out of the dungeons, Al silently crept after them. It indeed was a smart plan, and Al soon found himself on a stairwell that led to a common area of Hogwarts. He ran a hand through his coarse black hair and sighed. He figured it was time for dinner, so he headed there.

He got to the Great Hall and Rose looked away. She was still mad at him for his actions this morning. Not only was she upset about why he did what he had, but also because she had a great respect for the rules. Much like her mother, she wanted to do well in school, and would do nothing that would impede that progress. Rose's friend Lucinda sat down next to her, and Al narrowed his eyes. It is a school rule that you sit with your house, and Lucinda just happened to be a Hufflepuff. "You can't sit here," Al said without looking at her as he sat down.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll _" Lucinda was shoved back onto the bench as quickly as she had gotten up while stammering. Rose turned, furious.

"Just because you have something wrong with you does not mean that you have to take it out on the other houses, Albus." She knew how much he hated being called by his full first name. He never felt like he was living up the expectations of that name. He knew he could never fill Dumbledore's shoes. "You sure are a bloody mess as of late, Albus. Spiraling out of control, are we? Because you seem like you could really use a healthy dose of your own medicine. Get over yourself, and grow up. Otherwise, you're going to make many enemies out of strangers, friends, and even family," Rose barely took a breath, needing to get her feelings out. Al glowered at her, and rose from the bench. He turned on his heel and walked calmly out of the Hall.

"Are you alright?" Al turned his head to find a large section of the Gryffindor to be concerned with his well being. He smiled weakly.

"I'm alright, just a cold. Thank you for asking." Al kept walking with a smile on his face, and it faded as soon as no one could see. As he was walking, he let the tears that had been building up release. He needed to get away, and he headed to the only place he could be truly alone.

As Al made his way up the spiraling stairs, he looked out of the stained glass. The sun was beginning to reach the horizon and becoming duller, being shrouded by fog. He thanked his lucky stars that he would not have to go to another lesson. He did not think he could handle being around so many people after the eventful day he had had.

" _Fortitudo_ ," Al said confidently to the Fat Lady, and she was taken aback at the state of him. She looked him up and down with a look of disdain and pity. He did not like that.

"My dear boy, that is not the password. It was changed earlier, your Head Girl should have informed you this morning," she replied sadly. Al silently cursed and turned around. His face transformed from downcast to furious. He headed for the library, where he knew he could find her. He walked at a pace that would put the basilisk to shame. How could she withhold the password from him? He knew she did not agree with him some of the time, but would she really stoop so low as to not allowing him to get back in the common room? He was going to find out, one way or another. Al turned a corner, and ran right into Lily.

"Oh, I'm so sor_ Al! Where were you today?" Lily was pleasantly surprised to see her older brother. She shifted the weight of the books in her arms and grimaced.

"I wasn't feeling well, so I went back to the common room to relax." Al was hoping she would just keep going, but he knew he should help his little sister. "Let me grab these for you, Lily." She smiled in gratitude and thanked him. "So, any guys I need to hurt this week?"

"Hey! It is not a weekly thing, Al," Lily said, jokingly insulted.

"Fine. Bi-weekly, my bad. But seriously, are there any guys giving you a hard time? I'll make them leave you alone if you need me to." Al's eyes shone with love for Lily.

"No, I'm fine. I mean like come on we've only been here for three weeks this year, Al. And, I've decided that I am taking a break from boys this year." Al scoffed at her unintentional joke. "I'm serious! I realised that my marks are much more important than having a man in my life. Well the guys I know are boys, not men, but that's a different story." Al was not sure how to take the last thing she said. He shrugged it off and continued to see Lily as his innocent little sister. They walked the halls together, going towards Ravenclaw Tower. He heard voices coming from down the hall, and looked up from the books he carried. They bore the Slytherin symbol, and he hid a smile. Lily raised an eyebrow, questioning his sudden change in mood. The two boys were laughing and having a good time. One was tall with black hair and bright eyes, much like Al. The other was much shorter than Al and had dark hair and dark eyes. He walked down the middle of the hall. As they passed, Al stuck his foot out to trip the short boy. It made him stumble and crash into the other Slytherin. Al laughed at the pair, his mood being lifted. Lily was furious. She snatched her books out of Al's arms, and stormed off. He ran after her, and tried to help. "I can manage. I don't need help from Al the Bully. I much prefer Al the Brother, but he's clearly too far gone to be here right now. I can only hope that I get to see him again someday. Go to your tower, Al, it seems to be the only place in this school that is at the same height as your ego." She disappeared around a bend in the hall and left Al standing there, speechless. He regretted his rash decision to trip the boy. He did not want what Lily said to be true, so he brushed it off as a slap on the wrist.

Al raced to the library, only to find that it was being closed for the night. He cursed in frustration, and ran to try to beat Rose to the common room. He ran past a shadowy figure who called after him. He turned, mid run, and realised it was just Filch. He turned back and almost tumbled over the stairwell. Al caught his breath that was short from exertion and panic of almost dying. He leaned against the railing, and it began moving. Al ran to the top of the section to try to get off, but he barely missed the chance. He figured he could just get off and then loop around when it stopped moving. It went up a few levels, and quietly crashed into the end of a hall. He had never been here before. Cautiously, Al stepped off of the stairs, into the eery hallway. As soon as he was on solid ground, the stairs detached. His eyes widened with mild fear, and he had to keep going. Al walked down the hall, and there was a turn. He heard voices, so he ducked behind a column with a brazier on it.

"We have to do it soon. Otherwise the plan won't work," a deep, raspy voice spoke out of the darkness.

"But the boy is not ready! He must be trained for what we need him to know before he is taken," another voice said, which sounded clear and high.

"We will make it work. He has pride, but we must have a vessel who despises non-magic folk. We just need a little bit more time, but it _must_ be done soon. The Dark Lord cannot wait much longer." Al took a sharp breath. "What was that?" the raspy voice said.

"Someone's here. We must find them," the high voice spoke angrily. Al ran from his hiding spot, and reached the edge of the hall. He could see shadows stretching ever longer on the walls behind him. He had two foreseeable options. Face them, or jump. He chose neither. Al stepped on a painting that hung below the hall and he prayed to Dumbledore it held. He clammered down a few and he clung there, helpless. Al just hoped that whoever he interrupted did not look down.

I hope you enjoyed! Please review/favourite/follow. The next chapter will be up soon! Much love.


	3. Chapter Three: Punishment for the Crime

Copyright stuff: I own nothing but original characters and the situations they are in

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"I guess there was no one. Oh well."

"Better safe than sorry," the deep voice said. Their footsteps faded and disappeared before Al dared to move. He climbed down to the next stairwell and kissed the floor.

"No need to worship the ground I walk on, Albus," a familiar voice said to him. Al rolled his eyes and laughed. He prepared a witty comeback to use against a person of this man's heritage. But then, he remembered the fights he had had with Lily and Rose. He regretted those, and perhaps they were right.

"Scorpius Malfoy. As always, you have impeccable timing," Al said from the ground. Scorpius was surprised that he was not accosted for his House, and was grateful. Scorpius offered a hand to help him stand, and Al took it. "Thanks Scorpius. I've got to go now."

"Where did you even come from?" Scorpius asked, thinking about the sudden appearance of the dark haired boy.

"A secret hallway where I overheard a plot to bring Voldemort back," Al said, with no joking tone in his voice. Scorpius looked concerned, then laughed. Al nervously laughed along, and said goodbye. He walked back to the Gryffindor Tower. He sat down outside of the portal and fell asleep.

In the library the next day, Al walked in. He saw Rose waiting. She had her arms crossed over her chest, and was tapping her foot. He said nothing when he reached her. Al threw his arms around Rose, and apologised. Rose looked like someone had torn pages out of her textbook.

"Albus Severus Potter. How _dare_ you come up to me and hug me after what you have done lately?"

"Rose, I'm sorry. I have truly been a bully lately. I know I messed up. Just, please, forgive me?" Rose looked at him skeptically. She hesitated before agreeing. She knew he was not going to let go of her until she hugged him back, so she put her arms around him. She could feel the muscles in his back.

"Have you eaten today? There's no fat to grab on your back," Rose said, concerned.

"When was the last time you hugged me? I lost all of my childhood fat during my second year, Rose. I actually began working out," he said, chuckling.

"That explains a lot. I was wondering where this came from," she responded, poking his bicep. He laughed, and picked up the books from the desk he asked the librarian to set aside for him. Rose picked one up and read the cover. "Why is Albus Potter taking out books on reincarnation?"

"Rose how many times do I have to tell you, my name is Al. I don't deserve the name Albus. And I can't explain, you'll just laugh," Al said, defeated.

"Try me," Rose said with a dangerous tone. Al explained everything that had happened the night before. She sat through the conversation without laughing once, and nodded at the appropriate times. She shook her head when Al asked if he was crazy. "I'll help. Let's start reading." Rose took the top book and sat down in a chair nearby. Al was gleeful and sat across the table from her.

"Thank you, Rose. Not just for helping me. For forgiving me. It was getting pretty lonely. She nodded with a smile that he could not quite tell if it was love or pity. Al preferred to think of it as a love smile, and opened another book.

The pair spent hours in the library every day, researching. They found possible leads that turned into nothing. A few weeks later, Scorpius was in the library and saw the pair.

"I see you two made up?" Al and Rose looked up, surprised. They smiled at Scorpius, and invited him to sit with them.

"Here, start reading and tell us if you can find anything on someone being brought back from the dead on purpose. He looked at her like she was crazy, and Al chimed in.

"I wasn't joking, what I told you a few weeks ago. Someone is trying to bring Voldemort back. The only plausible way it could be done, since his horcruxes were destroyed, is by being reborn."  
"I'm sorry, but that sounds crazy. He was destroyed at the Battle of Hogwarts, by your dad. There's no way to come back from that," Scorpius rested his hand on Al's arm.

"Fine, go ahead and leave. I don't care. But if you're my friend, you'll help." Scorpius smiled, surprised that Al had called him a friend.

Al, Scorpius, and Rose spent a few more weeks researching. Every night, The trio would go to the staircase that moved for Al. Nothing ever happened, but they sometimes had a sense of being watched.

On an especially stormy day, Care for Magical Creatures was cancelled, so they headed to the back of the library where they had found a comfortable, secluded spot to read and talk in. They spent hours reading books that they had borrowed about reincarnation. Rose had even spent the night before in the Restricted Section finding some books that might have more details. All of a sudden, Al's mood plummeted.

"I think that the rumours might be true. What if I truly have no heart? I have no feelings for anyone. I think that I might truly not care for anything. What if I'm no better than Voldemort? He had no life, and that's part of why he died. I don't even have any horcruxes! And I'm already heading to where he was. I don't like any other houses, and I'm scared that I will not even like muggles soon! What if he started out as a good child and then just spiraled out of control? What if he was meant to go to St. Mungo's like I feel like I should be?" Al began crying, unsure of what to feel. Scorpius wrapped him in a hug, and rested his head on his shoulder.

"If there's anything that I know, Albus, it's that you have the biggest heart in the world. Even though your head is thick as a rock, I'm sure you will learn to love. Rose and I can help, if you want," Scorpius said, "right, Rose?" She nodded, smiling.

"Wait! Here's something!" Rose rushed over from the chair she was in. She pointed at a page and read aloud. "This spell allows the user to transfer the consciousness of a dead witch or wizard into the body of a live one. They do not need to be of the same bloodline. The consciousness must be brought into a witch or wizard, and not a muggle. If the witch or wizard in question has been deceased for longer than thirty years, the spell will not succeed, no matter the power of the witch or wizard casting said spell." Rose looked up at their faces. "It's not much, but it's definitely something."

Al woke with a start. He was writhing in pain, and he wanted to scream. His mouth was full of fabric, however, so no sound came out when he vocalised his pain. He had no explanation for the sudden and excruciating pain. He could not think, and the pain was blinding. It was as if someone was twisting his organs around inside his skin. Fighting through it, Al focused all of his energy into finding his surroundings. He was still in his four poster bed, but there were two hooded figures at the foot of it. Trying to look closer, he could tell that they were Hogwarts cloaks. "Have you had enough, Albus?" The pain subsided.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" Al's voice cracked with the remaining pain. His attackers laughed and one held up the wand it held.

"You always said you were superior. But seeing you at the end of my wand, I know the truth. You are a coward. Living in the shadows of your family has turned you into a monster. Your cousin is Head Girl, and your sister is Quidditch Captain, and what are you? Nothing. You are worthless, and the son of Harry Potter should not be. You need to learn a lesson. So, we are here. Grow up, and quit meddling in things you know nothing about. The Dark Lord is going to return, and you can do nothing about it. We are going to use your dear friend as the vessel. We were going to use him originally, but you got in the way, and your heart is much crueler than his. This sets our plans back a while. Such a pity, to not use someone with so much hate. I should just kill you now, but I'd rather you die slowly. _Crucio!_ " The pain returned as the deep voice cruelly spoke the curse. Wishing death upon himself, Al grabbed the posts with his arms and squirmed around in the sheets. The pain ended once more, and he heard the deep voice again. "I hope you learn from this. That is, if you live. If you have a guardian angel, I hope you end your meddling in our affairs. Now, for your punishment for carrying such a proud name and being contrary. _Sectumsempra!_ " He slashed his wand through the air multiple times before vanishing into the night with the other cloaked person who came along for the torture. Al gasped for air as blood poured out of his chest. He had gashes on his torso, thanks to the curse his namesake created so many years before. Al silently weeped, having too much pain to feel any of it. He waited for death, knowing he deserved it. He spat out the gag in his mouth and wept. A figure appeared in the doorway.

"I'm sorry," Al choked out, and he knew death was coming.

"Albus, please be alright." Al opened his eyes slowly. His dark green clashed with the electric blue eyes that belonged to his light-haired friend. He smiled weakly at the man who was leaning over his face.

"Scorpius, I'm fine. You can stop checking in on me. I'm going to live," Al chuckled. Scorpius let out a sigh of relief. Realising how close they were, the boys became awkward.

"So_ Um_ Rose needs me to help her read something," Scorpius said, rubbing the back of his head. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I'm hopefully leaving today. I've been asleep practically this whole week, Scor. Don't worry. Go help Rose out, and I'll hopefully see you tonight. I l_" Al had a believable coughing fit. He wasn't sure if _love_ was the right word for how he felt about Scorpius. He wasn't sure about anything lately.

The next day, Al was released by Madam Pomfrey. She said he should be fine, and she jokingly told him to stop falling out of windows. He chuckled at their cover story Scorpius came up with when he brought him to the hospital wing, and left.

Al met up with Rose and Scorpius, and they headed to the stairwell to try again. The trio reached the stairwell that moved the night Al overheard the conversation he was not meant to be in. They stepped on, and nothing happened, just like all of the other times. "You know Al, you had a really long day when you claim to have gone there. Are you sure you weren't just dreaming and passed out?" Scorpius gently put a hand on Al's shoulder to try to brighten his downcast face. Al was trying to figure out if he truly had accidentally made all of this up in his head. Rose had her eyes shut, probably out of frustration. Her eyebrows creased. She wasn't mad, she was just concentrating very hard. She began pacing, three paces past the boys. All of a sudden, a door appeared and Rose opened it. The stairs jolted away from the wall. The three students grabbed onto the railing, surprised.

"Rose, what did you do?" Scorpius whispered, as if he was afraid of being caught. Al scoffed.

"Scorpius, I'm pretty sure that if you lower your voice, it will still be quite obvious that we're on a floating staircase that typically does not move from a door that is not supposed to exist. Rose, what _did_ you do?"

"It was just a hunch I had, but I_ I was right," Rose happily pondered. "I suppose that if you need help at Hogwarts, it truly will come to those who ask. I was not expecting the Room of Requirement to actually appear though. How could I have not thought of this sooner?"

"I thought the Room of Requirement was destroyed during the Battle of Hogwarts?" Al exclaimed. He watched in amazement as the familiar hallway appeared to them. He wondered why he was allowed in, with no real need to be there before.

"When Crabbe cast Fiendfyre in the Room of Hidden Things, it destroyed the room. But there are many forms the Room itself can take. It has enchantments to it, preventing any overlap of dimensions. I read about it in the Restricted section's more extensive copy of Hogwarts: A History. They keep the version that has secret exits that were created in case of attack, so the professors can help in case of an emergency their magic cannot stop."

"Bloody brilliant, Rose. This is fantastic!" Scorpius stepped into the newly revealed hallway.

"Agreed. That was brilliant," Al said. Scorpius chuckled, and looked back at Al.

"See, we _can_ agree on something, Albus!" He turned back to the hall ahead of them, and took another step. He paused and waited for the pair. Rose looked at Al, questioning the use of his full name. Al rolled his eyes, and kept moving. The trio cautiously made their way towards the pillar Al hid behind the night before. They paused, unsure of what to do. "Are you sure you want to do this, Albus? After what happened…" Scorpius trailed off. What he was going to say was obvious. Al nodded and nervously swallowed, even though his mouth was dry. They slowly crept around the corner, and they walked into a large room they did not expect to see. There was a long, dark table with twenty four chairs around it. "That's my table," Scorpius said, wary. "This is the table that we had in our dining room. Dad said that most Death Eater meetings took place in his house growing up. When my grandfather passed, we were given everything. My father refused to move into the manor, so he and my mum sold everything they did not want, and kept a few things. This table was one of those things. But my dad kept having nightmares of everything that happened around this table, and sold it. I don't know to who, but I think I might have an idea. They're some of the only Death Eaters that haven't been confirmed dead. Though, they are among the six remaining that are in Azkaban." Scorpius was suddenly overcome with a feeling of dread thinking of if the people he was thinking of were in here.

"Who is it, Scorpius?" Rose nervously asked, having the same thought. Scorpius was about to answer when they heard a noise behind them. They turned, and took sharp breaths.

"You survived. Now we can have some fun, Albus," the deep voice had a face. Albus looked into the large-nosed face with fury.

"How did you survive?Headmistress McGonagall isn't known for her pity," Al said, causing the man with short, dark hair to curl his lip.

"That woman doesn't know the tip of her wand from the base. She is as thick as that boy Crabbe was. We may need numbers, but I am glad to be rid of him. He was absolutely useless," he said. The woman beside him laughed a horrible laugh.

"Now we get to play?" Her face was mangled, and not how it was described to Al as a child. He wondered what happened to her in Azkaban. Rose did not know what to do. She backed up a step. "Weasley, Potter, and Malfoy, all in one room. How pitifully fun!" Alecto clapped gleefully. "You know, when the dementors tortured me in prison, I never gave up the hope that my brother would come for me. I always knew he would come for me. And then he did," Alecto stared off into space, seeming to not be there entirely.

"Alecto was ruined by Azkaban. She comes and goes, but usually is gone. Thanks to your parents, she is never going to be the same. But all of that will change once the Dark Lord is back. He can fix her. He can fix this whole world that has been ruined in the past twenty five years. A half-blood as the Headmistress? Ridiculous. This school should be held at much higher of a standard. Why wou_" Amycus was cut off.

"Severus Snape was a half-blood, and you both were his assistant headmaster and mistress. Why the selective hatred? Even Voldemort was a half-blood! I say _was_ because that is all he's ever going to be. Voldemort is never going to come back. Especially not once you both are in Azkaban." Scorpius stepped forward, and Al tried to as well. "Albus, you go get Headmistress McGonagall. Rose and I can take care of these two, especially since one of them should be up at St. Mungo's. Alecto can barely focus in this room." At the sound of her name, Alecto sprang into action. She flew towards Scorpius, and struck him with all of her might. He flew backward into the table, and hit his head on the corner. His vision blurred, and he lost consciousness.

"SCORPIUS!" Al found himself screaming for his friend. He felt something inside him that he had never felt before. He cared for his friend.

" _Stupefy!_ " Amycus stunned Rose. Albus tried to pull out his wand. " _Stupefy!_ " Amycus laughed as he walked right past Al. He bent down and threw Scorpius over his shoulder. He walked past Al again. Al tried with all of his strength to reach out to stop him, but all that he managed to do was move his fingers.

I hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to follow/favourite/review/whatever else. Next chapter will be up soon! Much love


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